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FAIRFIELD (CBS13) — A high-school football coach in Fairfield is accused of stealing money meant for his own team.

Levon Haynes’ wife, Stephanie, says his accusers are spreading lies.

“That’s what people do right?” she said. “They did it to Jesus—why not Coach Haynes?”

The Vanden High School coach won’t be on the sidelines anytime soon, as he’s accused of stealing thousands of dollars from athletic fundraisers.

“It was supposed to be for equipment, because a lot of kids still don’t have equipment yet,” said player Sir Ellenburg.

As it stands now, there aren’t enough helmets and pads to go around at the school.

“It really is frustrating because some of the kids can’t play yet, they can’t practice, they can’t play the games,” said parent Misty Morales.

Haynes wasn’t in the team photo a day before his team’s first scrimmage. Instead, he was posing for a mug shot, facing embezzlement charges.

He’s out of jail on bond. The school has placed him on administrative leave.

His wife Stephanie says people are spreading vicious lies to ruin her husband’s good name.

“He’s educated in the Travis Unified School District and has coached there 21 years, and this is his thanks? We appreciate it, Travis Unified,”she said. “You’d have to know him to know how ridiculous this is. I’ve known him since we were 8 years old.”

She’s sticking by her husband.

“He’s a man of God, he’s a man of substance and he’s a man of character — otherwise I wouldn’t have married him,” she said.

The school district expressed “deep concern” in a statement released Wednesday, and promised full cooperation with police, as well as starting their own investigation.